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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Vieni, Resident at Covenant House
4:48:01
·
125 sec
Vieni, a 19-year-old resident at Covenant House, testifies about her experience with youth homelessness and the importance of runaway and homeless youth services. She urges the city council to increase funding for these programs, highlighting their role in providing stability and support for vulnerable youth.
- Vieni shares her personal journey from a dysfunctional family to finding support at Covenant House
- She discusses her professional aspirations in journalism and filmmaking, and her current educational pursuits
- Vieni advocates for raising the bed rate on DYCV contracts to $70,000 per bed and implementing a 3% compounding COLA increase for staff compensation
Resident
4:48:01
Good afternoon.
4:48:03
My name is Vieni.
4:48:04
I'm 19 years old and I'm originally from Queens, New York, but I currently live at Covenant House which is a crisis shelter in Midtown.
4:48:12
I come from a low income dysfunctional family where instability became a norm.
4:48:16
I needed the space, support, and opportunity to move forward with my life and pursue the goals I've set for myself.
4:48:22
After hearing my situation a case manager from another resource center referred me to Covenant House where I was able to get a bed that same night.
4:48:30
What stood out to me immediately was the structure of Covenant House.
4:48:33
I needed discipline and a push in the right direction and from the moment I arrived I was surrounded by people who genuinely cared and wanted to help me reach my goals.
4:48:43
Right now my biggest dream is to have stable housing.
4:48:46
Professionally I hope to become a journalist.
4:48:48
I've participated in multiple after school filmmaking programs and have directed several of my own short documentaries.
4:48:56
I also take courses at New York Film Academy where I've earned several certificates for my work so far.
4:49:01
My plan is to pursue a master's degree in journalism and business.
4:49:05
I currently attend Borough of Manhattan Community College as a business major and work at a film studio called Hook Arts Media where I've had the opportunity to direct and produce a documentary on the intersectionality within youth homelessness.
4:49:18
To me success means stability whether it's having a roof over my head or a steady job success is about being able to live without the constant fear of ending up back on the streets.
4:49:28
So today I'm asking the council to recognize what it truly takes to keep programs like Covenant House and other runaway and homeless youth providers running strong.
4:49:37
These services aren't just programs, they're lifelines for youth like me.
4:49:41
They mean having a safe stable place to sleep, grow and rebuild.
4:49:45
To ensure that these organizations can continue doing this essential work I urge the city to raise the bed rate on current DYCV contracts to 70,000 per bed to match the real cost of care and support.
4:49:56
And I asked the city to fund the promised 3% compounding COLA increases each year so that the staff at these organizations are valued and fairly compensated.
4:50:05
Thank you for taking the time to listen.